I hope everyone is doing well and I just wanted to spread the word on the CMP. I have been interested in the M1 family and purchased a few. I originally asked someone on this forum about where to buy an M1 Garand and they recommended CMP.

THANK YOU!!!!!!! If anyone is interested in purchasing an M1 Garand/Carbine or anything related to them and more, GO TO THE CMP South store.

I live in MS and finally had a weekend that I could make the trip. I left work Friday at 5:00 p.m. and made the drive. I decided to stay in Birmingham to break the trip up. The next day I drove the other hour and arrived at CMP. From the start, the staff was very helpful. To make a long story short, I arrived at 11:00 am and left at closing time 3:00 p.m. Saturday. I spoke to many different people who worked there and others who were like I and visiting. They walked me through everything I could ask and showed me things I didn't know. I left MS with the intention of buying a correct grade M1 Garand and left with a great service grade with everything matching except the tripper housing, easy fix, an M1 Carbine, more ammo than I can shake a stick at, and an awesome experience.

Everyone there was great and I know I will be back. If you are even thinking about getting a Garand/Carbine DO NOT go anywhere else. They will give you great advice and you will leave with a great piece of history and have a great experience.

I would not have written this if I didn't have a wonderful time there. I would have driven 10 hours!!!

Early I said, "to make a long story short", SORRY. I tried.

Thank you CMP for a great experience and I'll see you soon.

M1A Owner

(Tucker)

jaughtman

July 12, 2010, 12:23 PM

I have always "heard about" buying from the CMP store there but did not understand all the vageries about it. Can you just walk in and buy one? Or do you have to be a member of the CMP? What prices did you pay for the Garand and Carbine, if you don't mind me asking.

J

sonrider657

July 12, 2010, 03:45 PM

I bought a Garrand and an M1 Carbine from CMP Mailorder and was very satisfied. I have always wanted to go to one of the Stores but just haven't justified the long drive. Maybe its worth the road trip?

M1A Owner

July 13, 2010, 06:38 PM

Jaughtman,

Yes you can walk in and buy one. You have to meet the very few requirements they have posted on the CMP website. I am currently in the military so that was all I needed to show. I would highly recommend to make the trip. I promise it is well worth it. I paid $595 for the M1 Garand and $575 for the Carbine. They have great deals on ammo and other items.

I look at them everyday after work and can't wait to go to the range.

TimT

July 18, 2010, 02:10 PM

Can you just walk in and buy one? Or do you have to be a member of the CMP?

Yes, as M1A said, you can walk in and buy one, provided you meet the qualifications to do so. Basically, you have to be a US citizen, have to be a member of a club, and have to have marksmanship training.

There are a few different ways to meet the latter two. You can join a few clubs online relatively inexpensively - think less than $25. You can find clubs here (http://clubs.odcmp.com/cgi-bin/clubSearch.cgi). Most vets organizations also meet this criteria (VFW, AL, I think AmVets too.) The NRA is not acceptable.

For the shooting portion, there are a couple of things you can do. A DD214 will suffice for vets. C&Rs also are ok. Hunter safety courses that include a live fire portion are also fine. No proof of marksmanship is needed for those over 60.

If you are thinking about making the drive, you should call them first to make sure that everything that you have will let you walk out with a rifle that day. But, be aware that not all rifles that are for sale are always available in their stores. You can look on the CMP forums for store reports.

Be aware that you have to pay sales tax at the stores, which will be more expensive than just picking it out and getting it shipped to yourself. (Yes, to yourself - the rifles don't need to go to an FFL, and yes, it is legal. I love it when the nice lady in the big white truck brings me a new rifle!)

It sounds daunting to buy a rifle from them until you actually find out what it is that you need to do. It really is quite simple.

Lastly, there are different grades of rifles. The cheapest you can buy an M1 now is $495, and the cheapest you can buy a Carbine is $479. The CMP stands behind all their rifles, and has excellent customer service.

jaughtman

July 19, 2010, 02:18 PM

I actually live in Birmingham so it is only a 40-50 mile drive. I might make a Sat. drive out of it just to look around.

J

kraigwy

July 19, 2010, 03:56 PM

If you get a Garand or Carbine, be sure to check out Vintage Rifle Matches. These old guys deserve to show us they still have it in them.

They are shooters, they want to shoot, Vintage Rifle Matches are the perfect venue for shooting these pieces of history.

velocette

July 19, 2010, 04:37 PM

I got my M1 about 25 years ago from them, very satisfied.
I just sent off Saturday an order for one of their Kimber .22 target rifles.
Great folks to deal with, then & now.

Roger

chris in va

July 19, 2010, 07:00 PM

I drove the 6 hours from Louisville to the north store, definitely worth the trip. Everyone just looks at me with a shocked face when I tell them my Garand cost me $595.

HorseSoldier

July 19, 2010, 07:37 PM

+1 -- I bought both my Garands at CMP South and it's not only a a very cool shopping experience (if you're the sort of person who'd be in the market for a Garand or M1 carbine anyway) but you can also get a lot of gun for the money if you inspect and gauge as you browse.